P.S. Murthy, retired Stark County Coroner, dies

Saturday

Former Stark County Coroner Dr. P.S. Murthy died Saturday morning after suffering a heart attack, according to the current coroner, Dr. Anthony Bertin.

Murthy, 83, who maintained a home in Stark County, was in Connecticut visiting his daughter. He was pronounced dead about 9 a.m. at a Connecticut hospital, following a massive myocardial infarction, Bertin said.

"He was a good friend, and I had a lot of respect for his professionalism and expertise," Bertin said.

Bertin was Murthy's chief deputy coroner, and Murthy endorsed him when retired in 2017 because of arthritis and other health issues. At the time, Murthy was the second-oldest coroner in the state.

Murthy was born in India and immigrated to the United States as a young doctor. He was elected coroner at the age of 70, when Dr. James Pritchard, the county coroner for 24 years, retired in 2004. Pritchard hired Murthy from the Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office in 1993 to be his chief deputy coroner.

Murthy served as county coroner for about 11 years, winning his fourth term at age 82 in 2016.

Phil Giavasis, Stark County Democratic Party chairman, said at the time Murthy reportedly had been considering retirement but had to leave "earlier than expected due to his health issues and desire to spend more time with his family."

Murthy's staff members said they felt as close to him as family.

"He was a good boss and a good coroner. He worked hard. He did nearly 6,000 autopsies in his lifetime. He was dedicated to his job," said his investigator, Rick Walters. "He's at peace now."

Murthy's chief investigator, Harry Campbell, who just 10 years ago was one of only five board-certified medicolegal death investigators in the state of Ohio, wrote in a letter to the editor published Oct. 7, 2016 that, "When the old Doctors Hospital closed, Dr. Murthy and the commissioners worked together to build a state-of-the-art facility at the Stark County Safety Center on U.S. Route 62. With the ever-increasing workload due to an aging population and an increase in drug-related deaths, Dr. Murthy made the decision in 2015 to hire a full-time board-certified forensic pathologist to assist him in the office. With the addition of North Canton native Dr. Rene Robinson, autopsies and examinations are performed quickly, never losing track of the fact that there is a family behind virtually every death."

Campbell spoke about Murthy on Saturday morning, calling him "a good man. He taught me a lot. So much of the knowledge of pathology I have now came from him. Working in this job was probably one of the best experiences of my life, and he was a very big part of that."

Janet Weir Creighton, president of the Board of Stark County Commissioners, called Murthy "a sweet person. Dr. Murthy really wanted to do what was best for the county. He loved what he did, and he was very genuine. He was very sincere in his service to the county."

She recalled, too, his decision to leave his post wasn't easy.

"I know it was difficult for him to make the decision to step down, but I think he realized it was in his best interest for his health," she said. "He wanted to enjoy his retirement years with his family. He just cherished his children. He wanted to spend time with them."

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Reach The Canton Repository at 330-580-8300 or newsroom@cantonrep.com.

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